Deadline: March 31, 2018
Call for applications for PhD Scholarships at the Sub-Saharan Africa Consortium for Advanced Biostatistics is open. The Sub-Saharan African Consortium for Advanced Biostatistics (SSACAB) training, a consortium of twenty African and northern institutions has secured funding from the Wellcome Trust/AESA through the Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science (DELTAS Africa). The consortium is therefore calling for full time scholarship applications for PhD degrees.
The funding will cover fellows undertaking a PhD programme in Biostatistics in participating training institutions to develop and improve biostatistical skills among researchers, with an ultimate goal of creating research nodes of excellence to grow the discipline and a biostatistical network to nurture researchers with advanced skills and expertise.
This PhD degree programme focuses on quantitative research in health-related fields with the aim of developing a career in Biostatistics, which is a growing field in low and middle-income countries due to increased biomedical research. Therefore, the goal of this financial support is to enhance Biostatistical graduate training capacity and boost the number of researchers and practitioners in low and middle-income countries.
Benefits
The scheme will provide full scholarships for 4 PhD Fellows in the 2018 academic year and covers the following:
- Tuition fees and basic medical and accident insurance
- A monthly stipend to cover accommodation and living expenses
- Reasonable support for the PhD research project and supervision
- Bench fees to research institution hosting the PhD student
- Travel costs to and from academic training institution and the host research institution
Eligibility
- The scholarship is open to nationals of low and middle-income countries in the Sub-Saharan African Region that are resident in the region.
- Applicants should normally be under 40 years for the PhD Programme.
- Applicants should meet each of the separate University’s admission requirements for the PhD degree before applying for the fellowship.
- The PhD scholarships are open to candidates with strong background in Statistics, Mathematics, Demography and any other quantitative fields, including competent candidates from the lab/health fields such as biomedical sciences, pharmacy, medicine who may benefit from a postgraduate course in biostatistics.
- The potential fellows should have applied for a place at one of the postgraduate biostatistics degree programmes being offered by partner institutions.
- Former DELTAS Africa SSACAB fellows who were recently awarded or have completed an MSc in Biostatistics Degree are encouraged to apply. Being a former SSACAB Fellow will be an added advantage and is subject to the quality and merit of the application.*
Application
Applications must include research questions based on data from a recognised Research Institution, have a co-supervisor from that institution and or from an academic training institution. Potential PhD scholarship applicants should provide the academic training institution:
- A comprehensive curriculum vitae including relevant research and work experience
- Letter of motivation explaining why you want to pursue a PhD in biostatistics
- Certified copies of academic transcripts and degree certificates
- A concept note, not exceeding 5 pages, outlining the proposed area of research
- A sample of written academic work of which the applicant is the primary author e.g. Masters’ research report or a journal article
- A letter from the proposed research institution supervisor indicating willingness to supervise
- Evidence of acceptance or application to study Biostatistics at a partner institution
- Two confidential referee reports should be sent directly to the training institution
PhD scholarships will be given to candidates who are likely to strengthen the SSACAB institutions either as academic staff members or affiliation to research institution within the consortium. Awarded Fellows will be tracked with the new SSACAB alumni to increase their visibility and to monitor the impact of the programme.
For more information and to apply, visit SSACAB PhD Scholarship.
